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The New York Giants are mourning the loss of Ray Handley, a former assistant coach who later led the franchise as head coach. He was 81 years old.
The Giants said Handley’s family member, Rob Handley, confirmed the former coach’s death. Details about the cause of death were not immediately released.
Handley first joined the Giants coaching staff in 1984, working as an assistant under then-head coach Bill Parcells. During his seven years as the team’s offensive backfield coach, Handley played a role in winning the Giants two Super Bowl titles.
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New York Giants head coach Ray Handley on the sidelines against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Tampa Stadium on November 24, 1991 in Tampa, Florida. (USA TODAY Sports)
Parcells retired after the Giants’ second championship in that run. Handley was elevated to head coach in 1991.
But Parcells’ success ultimately proved difficult for Handley to follow. One of his first key decisions was to name Jeff Hostetler rather than Phil Simms as the starting quarterback during training camp in 1991. Simms had thrived as a starter the previous season until he suffered a leg injury before Hostetler took over to complete the run to the Super Bowl.
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The Giants went 8-8 in Handley’s first season and fell to 6-10 the following year. Handley was fired after the 1992 season and replaced by former Denver Broncos coach Dan Reeves.
New York Giants head coach Ray Handley watches from the sidelines during an NFL game circa 1992 at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. Handley was the head coach of the New York Giants from 1991 to 1992. (Focus on sport/Getty Images)
Handley served as an assistant coach at Army, Stanford and Air Force before accepting an assistant coaching position with the Giants. He no longer coached after being fired by New York.
Before entering the coaching ranks, Handley was a running back at Stanford.
